A simple mathematical analysis of the limitations to inferring feeding behaviour of zooplankton from gut content

Abstract

The instantaneous amount of food in an animal's gut, or gut content (G), is a function of its ingestion rate (I) minus its gut evacuation rate (E). The authors present simple models describing the short-term (minutes to hours) dynamics of G, incorporating I and E simultaneously. The models apply to situations in which animals start feeding after a period of starvation. Short-term variability in feeding behaviour may not always be inferred solely from changes in gut content with time. -from Authors